By the numbers: Back to School

Summertime is winding down and vacations are coming to an end, signaling that back-to-school time is here. It's a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan newspapers and websites looking for sales on a multitude of school supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This edition ofFacts for Featureshighlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation's students and teachers.

Back-to-School Shopping

$8.8billion: The estimated sales at family clothing stores inAugust 2015. The sales at bookstores inAugust 2015were estimated at$1.6 billion.
Source: Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services

28,138: The number of family clothing stores in 2014. For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments were plenty: In 2014, there were 7,351 children and infants clothing stores; 25,214 shoe stores; 6,823 office supply and stationery stores; 6,888 bookstores; and 7,898 department stores.
Source: 2014 County Business Patterns, NAICS: 448140, 448130, 448210, 453210, 451211, 45211

$83.5billion: The estimated dollar value of private and public educational construction in 2015.
Source: Value of Construction Put in Place Survey

$2.9billion: The third quarter 2015 after tax profit estimates for apparel and leather product manufacturing corporations, up$1.2 billionfrom after tax profits in the second quarter of 2015.
Source: Quarterly Financial Report

$17.7 million: In 2015, the dollar value of U.S. imports of rubber erasers. The majority of this amount ($10.3 million) was for rubber erasers imported fromChina.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 4016920000

$2.6 million: The dollar value of rubber erasers exported in 2015.Mexicowas the leading customer, purchasing$1.5 million worth.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 4016920000

$256.9 million: The dollar value of binders and folders imported in 2015.Chinawas the principal importer, importing a value of$128.9 million.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 482030 

$41.5 million: The dollar value of binders and folders exported in 2015.Canadawas the majority exporter, purchasing more than any other country,$28.5 million.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 482030

STUDENTS

77.2 million: The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country inOctober 2014— from nursery school to college. They comprised 25.6 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 1

Pre-K through 12 Enrollment

48.3 million: Fall enrollment for elementary and secondary public school systems in 2013. 
Source: Public Elementary-Secondary School System Finances by Enrollment-Size Groups: Fiscal Year 2014, 2014 Annual Survey of School System Finances  

$11,009: The amount of current spending per pupil for elementary and secondary public school systems inthe United Statesin 2014. 
Source: Per Pupil Amounts for Current Spending of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems by State: Fiscal Year 2014,United States, States, 2014 Annual Survey of School System Finances     

79.3%: The percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who were enrolled in school as ofOctober 2014.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 3 

80.5%: The percentage of children ages 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as ofOctober 2014.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 3 

25.6%: The percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2014. 
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 1  

Languages

11.8 million: Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home; 8.5 million of these children spoke Spanish at home.
Source: 2014 American Community Survey 

Colleges

4,688: The number of colleges, universities and professional schools inthe United Statesin 2014. There were 1,083 junior colleges.
Source: 2014 County Business Patterns

14.7%: The percentage of college and graduate school students age 35 and older inOctober 2014. They made up 34.5 percent of those attending school part time. 
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 5  

40.0%: The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college or graduate school in 2014. 
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 1  

Work Status

52.1%: The percentage of students enrolled in college who worked less than full time, year-round in 2011; 20 percent worked full time, year-round.
Source: School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, Appendix Table 1-A

3.1 million: The number of enrolled high school students who worked less than full time, year-round in 2011; 146,000 students in high school worked full time, year-round.
Source: School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, Appendix Table 1-A

Field of Degree

13.1 million: The number of people age 25 and over who held a bachelor's degree in business in 2014. Business degrees were reported by 20.4 percent of the population with a bachelor's degree, followed by education (13.0 percent); science and engineering related fields (9.2 percent); engineering (7.8 percent); social sciences (7.7 percent); biological, agricultural and environmental sciences (6.1 percent); and liberal arts and history (5.0 percent).
Source: 2014 American Community Survey

74.3%: The percentage of those in 2012 who had a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering or math — commonly referred to as STEM — and were not employed in STEM occupations.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey

Rewards of Staying in School

$83,417: Average earnings of full-time, year-round workers age 18 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2014. Workers whose highest degree was a bachelor's had mean earnings of$72,896. Mean earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma (includes GED certificate) was$42,094, while workers with less than a ninth grade education had$31,288average earnings.
Source: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014, Table PINC-04 

Study shows middle-wage jobs will decline in next 5 years

The U.S. economy is expected to add 7,232,517 jobs over the next five years — a 5 percent increase — but a new study from CareerBuilder and Emsi shows that workers in middle-wage jobs may not find as many opportunities.

High-wage and low-wage occupations are each projected to grow 5 percent from 2016 to 2021, but middle-wage jobs are only estimated to grow 3 percent. At the same time, 61 percent of the 173 occupations expected to lose jobs over the next five years are in the middle-wage category.

"The U.S. is facing a sustained trend of declining middle-wage employment that has serious implications not only for workers, but for the economy overall," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "If we can't find a way to re-skill and up-skill workers at scale, middle-wage workers will become increasingly susceptible to unemployment or will have to move into lower-paying roles that may not support them and their families. This can have a negative ripple effect on consumer spend, housing, investing and other key financial indicators."

Occupations Adding and Losing Jobs by Wage Category
For the purpose of this study, CareerBuilder and Emsi defined low-wage jobs as those that pay $13.83 per hour and below; middle-wage jobs earn $13.84 - $21.13 per hour; and high-wage occupations make $21.14 per hour and higher. ¹

The following is a list of occupations that rank among the top for projected growth or declines in employment for each wage category from 2016 to 2021. Each of the growing occupations listed are those adding at least 50,000 jobs over the next five years.

Growing High-Wage Occupations

Declining High-Wage Occupations

Growing Middle-Wage Occupations

Declining Middle-Wage Occupations

Growing Low-Wage Occupations

Declining Low-Wage Occupations

1 Definition from the National Employment Law Project

Texting 9-1-1 now possible in Peoria County

If you ever find yourself is a situation where you need help but cannot call 9-1-1 for fear of being heard, there is now a solution in Peoria County.

Text to 9-1-1 is now available in Peoria County for those individuals who cannot safely make a voice call in an emergency, as well as the deaf and hearing impaired.

Text to 9-1-1 is available for cellphones with plans from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless, according to the Peoria County Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB). If a text is made to 9-1-1 where the service is not available, an automated message will bounce back to the phone advising the user to make a voice call.

The ETSB said calling 9-1-1 is always preferable, but it recognizes there are situations where it is not possible or too dangerous. For example:

• Deaf, hard of hearing callers, or individuals with a speechdisability.
• A caller that is unable to speak due to a medical or othercondition.
• Emergency situations that would put a caller in danger if they were to make a voicecall. Examples include home invasion, an abduction, domestic violence,oractive-shooter situation.

When texting to 9-1-1, follow these guidelines:

• Provide your address or exactlocation.
• Explain the type of emergency or help that is beingrequested.
• Be prepared to answer any questions that the 9-1-1 operator textsback.
• Use plain language; do not use abbreviations, symbols, oremoticons.
• Messages should be brief andconcise.

According to the ETSB, texting 9-1-1 can be done by typing “911” in the field for a phone number. No other numbers are needed. Texting should be done through your wireless phones text messaging service and not from third party texting applications. It will not work in group messaging.

Text to 9-1-1 requires an active telephone service plan or it will not work.

Other important facts to remember are that Text to 9-1-1 is not available if you are roaming and it may take longer processing time than a voice call. Also, photos and videos cannot be received through Text to 9-1-1, at least not at this time.

“Remember, the best way to contact 9-1-1 is by making a voice call. Please utilize this service only in emergency circumstances where a voice call is not possible or safe,” the ETSB said.

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